It’s been a minute since we visited Japan for a snazzy auto show. The biennial Tokyo Motor Show was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, making 2019 the last official running of the event. Now it’s 2023, and much has changed in the automotive world over the last four years. Among other things, the Tokyo Motor Show has a new name – the Japan Mobility Show – and it will include other forms of transportation beyond automobiles.
The vibe, however, is much the same as it’s always been. This is a chance for Japanese automakers to shine in their home market, and as such, you can expect a plethora of concept vehicles covering most every automotive genre. As we draw closer to the show’s launch on October 26, additional announcements are certainly a possibility.
We’ve compiled all the major automotive debuts for the 2023 Japan Mobility Show right here, for your convenience. Check back often, as we will update the list when new announcements are made.
The funky new BMW iX2 makes its production debut in Tokyo. Beyond its bold new look, the iX2 has a 64.8-kilowatt-hour usable battery pack with two electric motors, which gives it a maximum output of 313 hp and 364 lb-ft of torque, with a 0-62 mph time of 5.6 seconds. The electric iX2 won’t be available in the US, but the gas X2 will be beginning next summer.
Daihatsu Me:MO Concept
This Me:MO is a little, boxy mobility vehicle with large windows. Daihatsu hasn’t said much about the compact car yet but announced the product’s theme of “Redefining the relationship between cars and people.”
Daihatsu Uniform Truck & Cargo Concepts
Daihatsu has two ideas for compact, electric utility vehicles. The Uniform Cargo concept is a little delivery van. The Uniform Truck concept is largely the same but with a higher roof. Both versions are 133.7 inches (3,395 mm) long.
Daihatsu Osanpo Concept
A high-riding, compact electric roadster is a weird idea for a vehicle, but Daihatsu makes those elements blend nicely with the Osanpo concept. The name comes from the Japanese word for walk or stroll, and that’s a good way to describe this concept’s purpose. It’s not supposed to be a sports car. It’s just for cruising around and enjoying nature.
The Vision Copen is a bigger, more powerful take on Daihatsu’s sporty roadster. At 151 inches long, the new concept is close in size to a 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata’s 154.1 inches. A 1.3-liter engine is under the hood rather than the existing Copen’s turbocharged 658-cc three-cylinder. The round styling has a little resemblance to the first-gen Audi TT.
Honda CI-MEV
Honda wants to get in on the ultra-compact, two-seat EV game with the CI-MEV concept. It’s designed for “last-mile mobility,” meaning very short commutes, and even comes equipped with automated driving technology.
The N-Van E: debuted in September boasting 130 miles of WLTC range, 50-kilowatt DC fast charging capabilities, and a maximum load capacity of 771 pounds – adorable as it is, this is still a cargo van. The N-Van E: will make its in-person debut at Japan Mobility, and hopefully Honda releases more specific details like battery capacity and pricing.
Honda Pocket Concept
As is the history of the Tokyo Motor Show/Japan Mobility Show, motorcycles and scooters play a big role. Honda – fresh off the debut of the adorable Motocompacto – will have another two-wheeler on display in Tokyo dubbed the Pocket concept. Its body is made of acrylic resin, making it more environmentally sustainable.
Honda took the electric E hatchback and made it smaller and cuter, somehow, with the Sustania-C concept. Like the Pocket concept, the exterior is made from acrylic resin that can be recycled and reused, and it wears a nifty two-tone paint job with red on the body and white on the roof. There’s even a tiny solar panel on the hood.
Honda Specialty Sports Concept
Honda has a handful of vehicles headed to the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, but probably the most head-turning of the group will be the Specialty Sports concept. We don’t know what it looks like yet – Honda hasn’t even released a teaser – but if the Sports EV concept from 2017 is any indication, another exciting electric coupe is on the horizon.
The Vision Qe Concept offers a peek at Infiniti’s future electric vehicle design language. The sole teaser image available so far shows an arched, rounded roof and a ducktail spoiler on the rear deck. The general proportions make us think this might be a four-door coupe.
Lexus Concepts
Toyota’s luxury division is preparing a whole concept lineup, details of which haven’t been entirely revealed. We have some teaser images, however, suggesting three models will grace the company’s display. One is believed to be an electric sedan with sleek lines and a fastback shape, and based on recent trademark filings, could preview a new LF series. The other Lexus concepts are even more mysterious, with a teaser image showing shadows that resemble another sedan and a midsize crossover.
The Nissan Hyper Tourer EV is one of three concepts the automaker will have on display at this year’s show. The minivan has a cavernous cabin with front seats that turn 360 degrees, capable of facing the rear passengers. The EV features unique packaging that allows it to have a flat floor and a low center of gravity, but Nissan didn’t provide any powertrain details. The vehicle uses AI to monitor brain waves, breathing, perspiration, and heart rate to change specific vehicle settings like mood lighting and music.
Nissan also has a funky SUV on display. The Hyper Adventure Concept has fanciful features like crampons that attach to the tires for extra grip. The front doors open conventionally, but the rear ones hinge upward. Steps deploy from the rear hatch. Inside, straps make up portions of the seats, and the rear bench can turn 180 degrees to face backward. Nissan provides no details about the electric powertrain, but this seems more like a concept for showing off neat ideas rather than something near production.
Nissan Hyper Urban Concept
Nissan’s other SUV concept focuses on city driving rather than excelling in the wilderness. The Hyper Urban Concept features sharp-edged styling and four scissor-opening doors. The automaker says this general shape offers a glimpse of what it’s planning for future crossovers. The cabin has a neat feature where the front seats can fold downward and become leg rests for the rear chairs. From there, occupants can stretch out while enjoying media on a flip-up screen.
A mysterious teaser image is our only hint at what Mazda might be showing in Tokyo, but there’s reason to believe it could be an electric concept portending a production-bound sports car. The lighting elements and illuminated logos from the teaser show a strong resemblance to the Mazda Vision Study concept from last year, but we’ll know exactly what Mazda has planned when the doors open next week.
Mitsubishi is debuting a minivan in Tokyo, but not just any minivan, an off-road minivan. The yet-to-be-named concept will have an “electrified” powertrain and a spacious cabin with plenty of room for outdoor gear. This concept could preview the next-gen Delica D:5.
Subaru debuted the 1,000-horsepower STI E-RA concept last year in Tokyo (at the Auto Salon), and this year the automaker has another two-door planned for the Japan Mobility Show. The Sport Mobility concept teaser image previews a futuristic sports car with a long hood, square wheel arches, and cameras in place of side mirrors. There’s even an illuminated constellation badge on the hood.
The new Suzuki Swift is making its world debut at the Japan Mobility Show, and the redesigned hatchback looks absolutely adorable. Suzuki calls it a concept, but the vehicle pictured here looks pretty close to done with production-intent headlights, wheels, grille, and more.
This curious Toyota is several vehicles in one. The modular truck/van concept will be on the show as a mobile café and a giant vending machine dispensing capsule toys. Screens will show other possibilities like a cargo truck, an off-road rig, an ambulance, and a little overlander.
Toyota Kayoibako EV Minivan
The term “kayoibako” refers to a configurable shipping container with different interior inserts. One glimpse at Toyota’s concept makes it clear why the vehicle gets this name. It features an ultra-boxy exterior with small windows that evokes a shipping container on wheels. The boxy shape maximizes interior spaces. Photos show the cabin can carry cargo or allow a person using a wheelchair access in there.
Toyota FT-3e SUV Concept
Toyota’s teaser images only provide glimpses of this EV concept. The SUV has hard-edged styling, and the profile gives it a coupe-like silhouette. A full-width LED light cuts across the tail. The automaker has a trademark on the FT-3e name in the United States, suggesting this is a production version of this vehicle might come to the US.
The FT-Se is one of the more exciting concepts coming to this year’s Japan Mobility Show because the vehicle hints at Toyota working on an electric sports car. It looks like an evolution of the earlier Toyota Sports EV concept, but the teaser images indicate the vehicle now has an interior. No technical specs are available yet.
Toyota X-Van Gear Concept
The X-Van Gear is technically a creation from Toyota Auto Body – a wholly owned subsidiary of the automaker. It looks boxy but has large windows, including a lack of B-pillars. A pair of sliding doors creates a massive opening for entering the vehicle. Once inside, the front passenger seat can turn 180 degrees, and the second-row chair folds down. A three-piece sunroof lets lots of light into the cabin.
This van also comes from Toyota Auto Body and uses the existing Vellfire van as a starting point. Whereas the production model offers a 2 + 2 + 2 seating arrangement, this one has room for just four occupants. The luxury-focused rear portion of the cabin includes speakers in the headrests and a cooler that fits two champagne bottles. The people back there can also draw a curtain if they want some privacy from anyone in front.
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